Empress A tale from the heart of an Empire
by sickmatejedi66
Summary: A story of another Empire based in the star wars galaxy, currantly run by the Sith Lord: Darth MaranJaiha Keyeena and her apprentice Lord Morte. Follows the Empress's story from her past to her Empire's current rebellion. Hope you enjoy, please r and r!
1. Chapter 1

Empress

A tale from the heart of an Empire

_Present Day- Rebellion Civil War_

**It** was an ugly sight for the citizens of the city planet of Coruscant that mid-afternoon. The recent Rebel attacks that were drawn to every Imperial location had now struck innocent lives. The attack, which was meant for one of the many army-training academies, hit a housing apartment instead. The Galactic Empire now had most of its supporter's back, which was especially pleasing for the Empress.

Staring out the window of her Imperial Palace, she waited patiently for the many Generals and other leaders of the Imperial Army, various governors and most importantly her Sith Apprentice to come to her emergency meeting. Using the Force, she reached out to find her Apprentice and to find out where he was. Seeing something move down below, she squinted her dark eyes and found that General Toan had arrived. 

Empress Jaiha Kayeena, as the public called her these days, had been head of her Empire for 10 years- with her loyal Apprentice, Darth Morte by her side.

As a Sith Lord, the Empress was known as Darth Maran, the name bestowed by her late master Darth Gare, who died in his quest to bring the Sith power of the galaxy. His intentions were good for both Sith and Jedi- as they were all brutally assassinated over 50 years ago in the Great Force War. It was a war caused by fear of those who could use the mysterious powers of the Force, no mercy was given even to the guardians of the galaxy, the Jedi knights. As for the Sith, they were first in line because of the truly 'unnatural' abilities the Dark side could perform. But a decade later, Darth Gare discovered his powers and vowed vengeance for his Sith ancestors. And eventually achieved this, by his apprentice taking control of the galaxy.

Today, the Empress still wishes for her master, who took care of her just like a father, to see her in power- as he died long before she reached the position. Although, she always knew she was fine without him, after the Rebellion started she wasn't as sure anymore.

Kayeena called for her handmaiden, Kyra, she had to freshen up for her guests' arrival. Kyra, as always chose the best dress for the occasion and the most suitable hairstyle to match.

"You look beautiful as always, your highness!" Kyra exclaimed happily. Though she was right, the Empress had lost most of her beauty in her years as a Sith Lord. Her skin, once a healthy tanned brown, were only a very light brown due to months spent in space ships and stations- out of the sun. Her eyes, once vivid and sweet were now duller- a thing Kyra insisted was just her aging. Somehow she had escaped a lot of the rapid aging Sith Lords encounter, due to the dark side. She recalled how grey and pale her masters complexion became, how his eyes were usually red and truth-be-told quite scary. But with determination she made sure she'd never look like that- her looks were very important to her.

"Alert my guests, that I'm arriving soon," the Empress said to one of the guards.

"Yes of course your highness! But now approaching is Lord Morte, he wishes to speak to you before the meeting."

Kayeena nodded and waited in her quarters for her apprentice. Though he was only a few years younger than her, Darth Morte was still a valuable student and he looked up to her always for support.

"Good afternoon my master," Lord Morte entered, with a bow. Then looking sincerely at her with his 'calm eyes'- the green ones that only shone when he wasn't accessing the Dark side in anger.

"Oh but not it's not good at all!" Darth Maran said sadly, "Do you know anything about these… _freedom fighters_?" She sneered; her anger was finally starting to wane.

"Hmm its not the Jedi- as we feared, we believe they are remnants of the Old anti-users of the Force organization- or whatever it was called…" Her apprentice thought carefully for a second, "Ahh I know the 'Mortals" Ha! They all thought they were the normal ones!"

"Yes I do remember as well- but they were before our time my apprentice… I don't know the way they work…" she sensed more guests arriving in her home.

"That is why we have called many elder Generals, they'll know all about them!"

The Empress nodded in agreement and they started walking to the main meeting room of the Imperial Palace. As she and her apprentice entered, her guests rose and bowed loyally.

"Your highness! How dashing you look this afternoon, but our business here is not very good at all…" General Toan said, gently kissing her hand. Toan was one of her best colleagues and her most trusted defence-advisor.

"Thankyou General, please everyone have a seat!" Kayeena said, while taking a seat herself- at the head of the table. Her apprentice sitting right beside her as usual.

"Now, who or what is exactly attacking the Empire?" the Empress said sternly, looking seriously at her guests. Many of them looked down at he table confusingly, but it was Admiral Lakam, a Neimoidian and one of the elders her apprentices mentioned, who spoke first.

"We're not exactly _who_ personally but we know they are from the old "Mortals" organization" he said, looking around at the guests seriously, "We believe they have been planning rebellion for a number of years. Your highness, this is a very serious threat to the Empire!"

There was a sudden hush among the Empress and her guests. But when Lord Maran thought about it more, she smiled gleefully.

"They have no chance against _us!_" she said with a snigger, "Our army is most definitely ten time larger than theirs! And is it be necessary, we also have the Death Star."

She exchanged happy glances with her apprentice; they both knew this was true.

"Hear, hear! I agree! General Lakam, what news do you have of their defences?" asked the Governess of Coruscant: Hanelle Vronsty.

"They do have a rather large army, a few hundred warships but absolutely insignificant compared to ours!" they laughed lightly, everyone else finally joining in. The Rebellion, compared to the Imperial Army was pathetic and pointless. But there still was the threat of the public siding with them- something the Empress was worried more about. Her citizens losing faith in her leadership was the worst thing that could happen to her and the Empire.

"So what action will we undertake?" Lord Morte asked. They all knew a civil war would start soon, if more of the public took their side.

"I will call a meeting in the Senate for tomorrow morning, to see what the public is actually thinking," the Empress said, as she stood up, "Now I must retire- thankyou for coming at such short notice." She was getting tired; a war was defiantly something she could do without.

As her apprentice stood up with her, her guests got up, bowed and got ready to leave as well.

"I hope we talk soon your highness," Admiral Lakam said, "Though hopefully not of more attacks on your Empire."

"Thankyou for your concern and your information Admiral," the Empress said appreciatively, allowing him to kiss her hand. Then she turned to her apprentice: "Lord Morte, we must talk some more- join me for dinner tonight!"

He thought for a moment and brushed back his golden brown hair; "Yes, I have nothing else to do- I'll come back down in an hour my master. " He bowed and left, leaving Empress Kayeena alone. She was alone a lot these days, her only true 'family' being her apprentice. Her family had passed away long ago…

"Oh I wish I wouldn't remember these things!" she thought desperately, as her past once again hoped back into her mind. Her days as a rising Sith lord had been her most powerful times, Lord Gare made sure of that. Her whole appearance was much more

'wild' in those days, her skin more tanned, hair shorter and she was definitely physically stronger.

Though she knew it was caused by the casualties and trauma of her teenage years, a past, which even her apprentice didn't know everything about. Her anger in those days kept her alive, gave her energy and the will to do her masters biddings.

The Empress walked towards the grand window of the meeting room and with one of her fingers-stunned a small insect with Force lightning (something she learned how to do long ago), looking back to her past life, before she joined the Imperial Senate, before she joined high society. A life where nothing made her pity; life as a true Sith Lord.


	2. Chapter 2

_22 years ago-'Rebirth of the Sith'_

Jaiha Kayeena met Gan Harrin on her fifteen birthday, she could almost say it was 'love at first sight' as soon as she caught sight of his handsome, but rough face and his loving eyes. They had become friends almost straightaway and lovers after only a week, she knew him so well they could almost read each others minds. Though most of the friends were worried over her relationship, which went much faster than any of theirs, they supported her when she told them the news of her accidental pregnancy.

At first she felt guilty, because she should have avoided this happening. Then she felt 'lower' than everyone else around her, almost as if she was wearing a sign saying 'whore' around the place. But that was all fine to Jaiha, as Gan stayed by her side

But it was a meeting she now was starting to regret; the birth of her first child was now starting, and Gan wasn't there to support her like he promised.

When Jaiha looked back, she believed this was the final 'click' to her anger, and her final slide to the dark side. She sometimes wondered if it's why the baby had died as well.

When Gan announced his leaving of her, she swore she could almost force-choked him- of she had known how to do it. He told Jaiha in her and her families old home in the poorer regions of Coruscant, she was sitting quietly in her bedroom- smiling to herself whenever her baby kicked. And thinking of various girl and boy names, though she was very young, she was ready to bring up a child.

Gan entered without even the curtesy of knocking and told her his dreadful decisions. She looked at him with sudden shock at his news, as it was only a day until the baby would be arriving.

"Gan? How… how?" she had managed to stutter, for months of his promises to stay with her- even though they were only both sixteen- this is how he was going to leave her?

"Yes Jaiha, I want to go places and explore the galaxy, family is just not for me yet…" he said shyly. Ha! As if she was ever going to feel sorry for him again!

"You pathetic… insignificant parasite! How dare you do this to me?" Jaiha yelled, her anger suddenly giving her more power, "How in the _galaxy_ am I supposed to take care of a baby all by myself?"

He then cowardly turned and left, "Nothing else to say? You evil coward!" she called, suddenly the door and window slammed open and closed.

She burst into angry tears; she hated Gan for what he had done- he had betrayed her. When her mother, who had just returned from work, heard her daughter's loud sobs and angry yells. She rushed up to her room, thinking she might be already in labour but found her in her room- doing sometime she had not seen in her whole life. Jaiha's belongings were being lifted up into the air and bashed against the wall. While Jaiha was sitting on her bed, crying, and looking determinedly at the wall in front of her bed.

She looked at her mother, and sobbed even louder. Jaiha told her what happened and for the rest of the day, she lay in her arms-. Jaiha slowly calmed down, and the bashing of objects against the walls ceased. So she was left in her thoughts, which were wondering what she was going to do.

The next day she woke when a sharp pain went thought her whole body, she got up suddenly, realising that she was starting to go into labour. She called out to her mother and father when to warn them that her contractions had started.

"Oh my poor child!" her mother wailed, as she entered her daughters room and found her in pain, "She's too young for all this!" Jaiha saw her father agree with a sad nod.

Helping Jaiha get up, her parents led her towards their garage, where the family's ship was held. Her father drove them to the nearest hospital and Jaiha was wheeled straightaway to the maternity ward.

Jaiha's labour lasted all day; the painful contractions were long and hard, like being repeatedly stabbed in the stomach, sweat covered her face as painful tears spilled over her hospital gown. She suddenly thought of Gan and she gave another more painful sheik. This is _all_ his fault! She thought furiously, if he hasn't convinced her that night. If he listened to her warnings, thought of the consequences…

"Ahhhh!!" she cried, the doctor heard and rushed in immediately. The baby was on its way. After another hour of screaming pain through her body, her baby boy finally came into the world. The fact that he was male was the only thing she found out about him, for he was dead before she could even hear his crying.

"No!" Jaiha sobbed hysterically, after the doctor hurried off to another delivery room. She held the small body in her arms, he was so delicate and beautiful it hurt Jaiha even more. It was all Gan's fault; she thought again, she shook with powerful rage.

Suddenly the machines around her broke, medical equipment shattered and the door slammed shut. Jaiha could suddenly sense a mysterious power in her body, similar to the one she felt when Gan told her his decision to leave her. Jaiha could _feel_ the dark side of the Force rising with her. It was all because of her hate for Gan.

Many hundreds of light-years away, on the outer rim planet of Ugasha IV, a Sith Lord, sat up in the chair he was sitting in. There was a great disturbance in the Force. Darth Gare got up and thought deeply, searching for what had caused the disturbance. He sensed a new power in the Dark Side, a new hope for his yearning for an apprentice- to teach all his Sith knowledge.

Lord Gare closed his eyes and felt through the Force, after a moment he saw a young woman screaming in a white room. She was in terrible, unbearable pain- it was so powerful Gare could almost feel it himself. He had to find this girl, make her his Sith Apprentice. For she was the most powerful Force user he had ever felt- one of the only for a very long time.

At the moment only a few Jedi and Sith lord managed to regain their powers, but they all had to keep it quiet, as anti-Force users were still at large. Even the legendary and noble Jedi Order had no hope of ever coming back; today they and also the Sith had to keep to themselves- continuing ordinary lives like the rest of the galaxy. Though even though both sides of the Force were equally murdered, both sides couldn't drop their hate of each other and were all 'competing' for greater power.

Although this was going to be hard to accomplish, as most of the public still weren't comfortable about Force users. The galactic Government was run by people who encouraged the fear of Jedi and Sith, sometimes using it to gain more votes.

That's why Lord Gare yearned for an apprentice, so he could bring the Force back into the good light and avenge his Sith ancestors- who were annihilated all those years ago.

In his mind, Gare desperately tried to locate the hysterical teenager, her anger was so strong it was very easy-

"Coruscant!" Gare cried aloud, for now he could see the room she was in just as if he was right next to her. She looked so desperate in her hysterics, as if she didn't know what to do with her anger. He had to get there- but first he had to figure out who exactly she was and more about her and how he was going to convince her to join the Sith.


End file.
